& >> pelley: tonight, american diplomats evacuate syria. as the violence worsens, our clarissa ward got inside to find oat the dictatorship doesn't want the world to see. >> reporter: at the local hospital there is a constant ieow of injuries and fatalities. >> pelley: with one of the ley:est winters on record, why ece heating bills going up? ndchelle miller found the reason. a rare look inside the u.s. air marshal program, training to take down terrorists at 30,000 feet. bob orr has the story. s onmark phillips on the queen's 60th anniversary. hsmile has been her umbrella eirough a steady reign. captioning sponsored by cbs s this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley.

>> pelley: good evening. it's getting more dangerous by the hour in syria. ng dangerous today that today u.s. diplomats evacuated the country, the embassy is now closed and britain recalled its ambassador. this is the city of homs, naptured on cell phone video, under bombardment by the government, the 40-year ilctatorship of the assad ngmily. the uprising began in syria 11 months ago. the u.n. estimates more than 5,000 people have been killed, many of them civilians. why does syria matter? have a look at the neighborhood. what happens in syria will have big implications for neighboring israel and for the u.s. the government of bashar al- assad does not want the outside world to see what's happening inside syria. reporters are not welcome. rut our clarissa ward managed to get in to introduce us to some of the rebels who are rising against the government.

>> reporter: rebel forces here are preparing for the fight they know is coming their way. these men call themselves the syrian liberation army, though they have no military training. riey claim to be in control of large parts of this syrian city, which has been a hotbed of unrest since the uprising began yarly a year ago. abdul rahman is one of the group's leaders. is the goal of your group to protect the people in your area yous the goal to take down the regime? "our goal is to protect the people and to bring down the regime," he said. we went on a tour of the area rahman claims to have liberated from the syrian government. and all the people here are with you? d is area is all your areas? . >> reporter: along this road, armed rebel fighters manned the checkpoints, not the syrian army.

.ut just a few minutes later, we were stopped. togime forces had left a gruesome message by the side of the road. he's saying that this man was a political activist, that he was waen by the regime to a jail, shot in the head and he's now been dumped by the highway. at the local hospital there is a constant flow of injuries and l thlities. victims, people here say, of government snipers. but still they gather every night to shout their defiance and demand an end to the regime and every night gun battles erupt all around the city. men have just had word that regime forces have surrounded gime rebels. we can now hear on the loudspeaker they're calling people to come together and go and fight. lie syrian liberation army set t toto answer the call with light weapons and heavy hearts, eaey stood guard on their street corner, brave defenders of their brmmunity but no match for the syrian army when it comes.

scott, as you can see, the city behind me is now relatively calm ht we have been hearing sporadic bursts of gunfire and it's important to remember that while some neighborhoods may be mayr rebel control, this entire city is still surrounded by government forces. >> pelley: clarissa, you suggested in your story these rorces you're are no match for the syrian army but tell me, what are they up against? >> reporter: you're dealing with a group of men armed with kalashnikovs, they have some r.p.g.s, very crudely made homemade bombs. but the syrian army have tanks, bs.y have artillery and the greatest fear for these men on the ground is that the syrian army will launch air assaults ld, of course, it's impossible oursehem to match that sort of force in any way. at selley: we're not talking about precisely where you are for the security of you and your team. but tell me, what is it like to be a resident of that town tonight? id reporter: i think there are two things that are motion striking here. the first is that everybody veves in a constant state of

fear here. the second is that the entire e seept of daily life is paralyzed. schools are closed, people aren't working anymore. the only thing that people live through now is this idea of the revolution and there's still no sense here of when there might s some progress and life might start to go on as normal. >> pelley: are there any signs there tonight that the syrian forces are going to move against the town where you are? >> reporter: scott, there's a rtwn about six miles away where some of the hardest fighting has heen going on and there's certainly a very real fear on the ground that troops are going to push on into that town and after they pass that town they're headed right for this city. >> pelley: clarissa ward, thank you very much. this past saturday the united states and the arab league supported a u.n. security nouncil resolution that called on assad to step down but the resolution failed when russia fad china vetoed it. after the arab spring toppled

egypt's dictator last year, several american organizations went to cairo to teach democracy to a society planning its first free elections. now several of those americans are being charged in egypt with wciting recent protests against the military council that runs tarycountry. concern at the white house is growing and norah o'donnell is inere with more on that. norah? hat.eporter: scott, the white house said today these americans idve done absolutely nothing wrong. they are in egypt to promote democracy, human rights and fair elections. that is no reason to investigate them. as stone-throwing protesters clashed with egyptian police today, 17 americans are facing charges of encouraging the unrest that has engulfed the country for nearly a year. one of them is the son of ray lahood, president obama's transportation secretary. odm lahood heads the egypt

office for the international tipublican institute and is now forbidden to leave cairo. were you surprised when you saw your name on the list? sai was surprised. so was my wife. >> reporter: other americans like charles dunne were safely at home in washington, d.c. when the charges were announced. as a director of the pro- democracy group freedom house, henne was cited for operating in the country without a license. the egyptian government is tccusing you and others of fomenting this unrest plaguing egypt. >> right. of course, we're doing nothing of the kind. this is completely trumped up political charges. >> reporter: if convicted, the americans could face up to five years in prison. and today white house press secretary jay carney indicated >> reporter: if convicted, the americans could face up to five years in prison. and today white house press secretary jay carney indicated that $1.5 billion in u.s. foreign aid to egypt could now be in jeopardy. >> we have made clear both in our public statements and private communications how seriously we take this and that these actions could have consequences for our relationship and for our assistance programs. >> reporter: of those 17

americans charged, we are learning new details about their ewereabouts, scott. about half of them were able to leave egypt before these charges were announced, but the rest of them, they're stuck in egypt and some of them, including sam lahood, are holed up inside the u.s. embassy in cairo. >> pelley: in the u.s. embassy they're beyond the reach of the egyptian authorities. norah, i wonder, when we see jay carney at the briefing talking about withholding aid to egypt, how significant is that? >> reporter: it's extremely significant. of course, egypt has been a critical ally in the middle east for decades. but last year for the first time congress said no more blank checks to egypt and they put some conditions on the more than billion dollars in aid we send egypt. well, now egypt has to comply with those pro-reform conditions and that's why the state department, the obama administration, everybody is saying look, if egypt doesn't comply, if they continue to investigate these americans,

prevent them from leaving the country that aid is on the line. scott? >> pelley: norah, thanks very much. the president, as you know, has been trying to force iran to give up its nuclear weapons program. today the white house said that it's tightening the economic sanctions against one of iran's banks and freezing all assets owned in the u.s. by iran's central bank. in the presidential campaign, mitt romney's big win in nevada on saturday has given him a widening lead in the delegate race. he now has 94. newt gingrich is way back with 30. both are still far from the 1,144 needed for the nomination. jan crawford is in colorado where the republicans will be caucusing tomorrow. jan? >> reporter: well, good evening, scott. with that landslide victory in nevada, romney's got all the momentum but newt gingrich, the former front-runner, says he is coming back. supporters at a campaign stop

today in colorado may want gingrich, but republican voters many the last two states have not. instead of consistently delivering a strong conservative message, gingrich has been complaining about romney, even calling him a liar. >> he decides to lie about my career? i mean, there's something about the hypocrisy that should make every american angry. >> reporter: voters didn't like it. gingrich was blown out in florida and lost badly in nevada to romney and his campaign organization. and the next six states in february aren't any more favorable. that's led supporters like judson phillips, founder of the tea party nation, to hit the panic button. today phillips called gingrich's campaign a disaster. former house majority leader dick armey, who has not endorsed a candidate, is equally blunt. >> i think he's digressed into a state of taking a second-rate campaign and turning it into a first-rate vendetta. >> reporter: gingrich says he is retooling his campaign to draw a

sharp contrast are with romney, defining himself as the true conservative candidate, a message that worked for him in south carolina. >> the elite media would love to talk us into nominating another moderate. >> reporter: gingrich think it is tide will turn in his favor in march when more southern states are voting like georgia and tennessee beginning on super tuesday. but now with gingrich's stumbles romney is turning his fire to rick santorum. he's been campaigning hard as the conservative alternative to romney and, scott, the polls show he could edge gingrich in the three states that vote tomorrow. >> pelley: and those states are colorado, missouri, and minnesota. thanks, jan. in this winter that wasn't, natural gas prices are at ten- year lows. so why is heating oil so high? government workers accused of collecting unemployment benefits on the job. and inside the air marshal force. taking down terrorists at 30,000 feet when the "cbs evening news" continues.

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is rising as well. and we asked michelle miller to find out why. >> reporter: leslie vaughn wilson is trying to find out where her money is going. she hired an energy efficiency expert to inspect her long island home. >> your heat is literally going right through the roof. >> you can see your money flying out of your pockets! >> reporter: she's paid $700 for heating oil so far this winter. 19% more than last year. >> i'm just hoping to be able to get the most bank bang for my buck. >> reporter: this winter, an average gallon will cost $3.79, that's 41 cents more than a year ago. analysts blame the price rally on iran's threats to close to the entrance to the persian gulf. and the demand for diesel and heating oil from growing economies. at the same time, financial problems have forced europe's largest independent refiner to announce temporary shutdowns of three refineries. the timing of all this could not be worse for many americans

>> a low-income family is struggling desperately to try to fill their oil tank. >> reporter: john wells runs a boston program that helps the needy pay their heating bills. a record nine million households are expected to apply for assistance as congress has cut the federal heating aid program by 25%. >> the resources they normally would have had they've already exhausted even with the mild winter. >> reporter: they have to sacrifice something else. >> they're doing that right now. they're sacrificing food. they're sacrificing their medicines. >> reporter: aid cuts have forced vietnam veteran john murphy to lower his thermostat. >> it was 11 the other night. it was 11. i had it on 66. >> reporter: murphy has cancer and now spends most of his day under an electric blanket in the one room he can afford to heat. >> cutting back on fuel assistance in the northeast during the winter months is dirty pool as far as i'm concerned.

>> reporter: murphy's counting on new england's mild winter to last. his heater's already burned through the $1,000 in fuel aid that was supposed to last until spring. michelle miller, cbs news, boston. >> pelley: well, sports titles are supposed to last, but today spanish cyclist alberto contador was stripped of his victory in the 2010 tour de france. the top court for sports arbitration found contador guilty of using a performance enhancing drug. contador blames contaminated meat for his positive test. on friday, federal prosecutors declined to charge seven-time tour winner lance armstrong following a nearly two-year doping investigation. we take you next where few cameras have gone before-- inside the training program for air marshals. aining program for air marshals. [ slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums.

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>> pelley: protecting air travelers became a priority after 9/11, so ten years ago this month the new transportation security administration took over aviation security. on the front lines high above are the federal air marshals. bob orr gives us a rare look inside their program. >> reporter: to make it as federal air marshals, recruits must be able to run up evacuation slides, outscore federal agents on gun ranges, learn how to react in life-or- death circumstances on crowded airplanes with no backup.

joseph d'angelilio is in charge of air marshal training. what kind of person are you looking for? >> someone who doesn't live in a black-and-white world because at 35,000 feet, we don't give them black-and-white answers. >> reporter: suspects spend 120 hours training with weapons and, as this tape provided by the air marshals show, recruits endure a rigorous mix of martial arts and rigorous exercises. since threats can emerge without warning, complacency is an enemy. the program was languishing before 9/11. on the day of the attacks, there were only 33 federal air marshals. now there are thousands. the exact number is classified. but in the past two years alone, 25 new classes have gone through this training facility. >> i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> reporter: the most recent graduates just got their badges from homeland security secretary janet napolitano. since the federal air marshals

are america's most secret federal police force, we cannot identify them. anonymity is critical for air marshals to blend in with the 1. million people who fly each day. >> there's a game that's been played ever since 9/11 "pick out the air marshals." it's a great game because people assume they're everywhere. >> reporter: you like that. >> it's a great force multiplier. >> reporter: air marshal kimberly thompson flew for eight years. she says air marshals are taught to scan for potential threats. >> we're looking continually at the passengers around us, passengers going into the restrooms or moving about the cabins for any given reason to determine why is that person getting out of their seat? >> reporter: despite the force buildup, federal air marshals still cover just a fraction of the 30,000 daily flights in the u.s. over the past decade, they've made few arrests and have never fired a weapon in flight. but air marshals cannot lower their guard knowing that aviation remains the top target

of terrorists. bob orr, cbs news, atlantic city. >> pelley: the air marshal service was formed during the kennedy administration to stop hijackings to cuba. the first class graduated 50 years ago next month. the district of columbia suspended about 90 workers today. officials say they were collecting unemployment benefits while they were on the job. the alleged scam netted $800,000 in all. the workers could be fired and face criminal charges. a milestone fit for a queen. mark phillips has her story next. story next.

hospital refuses to operate. the movement that may change his fate next >> pelley: once upon a time-- 60 years ago today-- a young princess learned she had just become queen, queen of england. her mother sent her this message "all my thoughts and prayers are with you, signed, mommy." now, as elizabeth ii celebrates her diamond jubilee, mark phillips tells the story of one of the longest-reigning monarchs. >> reporter: in a market town in eastern england, the small woman in a big hat is greeted by officials in ceremonial robes-- just like she's been doing for 60 years.

some things haven't changed in the time queen elizabeth has been on the throne. certainly not the dedication to duty she promised again today as she had done long ago. >> my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service. >> reporter: it's been long. she's 85 now. she was just a 25-year-old princess when her father, king george vi, sent her off on a world tour where, on a stop in africa, she learned he had died and she was the new queen. a queen not just for a new age but, says royal writer robert hardman, for many new ages. >> this is the first monarch who's reigned through a modern media age. who's reigned through so much social change. who's reigned through from the cold war, through the jet age and the space age, the digital age. you name it, she has seen pretty much the 20th century firsthand and she's still going strong.

>> reporter: they don't do job approval ratings on monarchs but 12 british prime ministers and an even dozen american presidents later few public figures have been so popular for so long. the prime ministers and president this is queen is now working with weren't even born when she came to power. with nothing left to prove, she should be somewhere warm beside the royal fire on a cold winter's day, but she can still give lessons in dedication to public service. for all its privilege, it's not easy being queen says royal

they say enough is enough. y oakland business owners facd off with occupiers. "15:19:34 - 15:19:47 "are yu representing the police?" "k off" "are you representing e police?" "i'm for my city, , native. i don't want the violence. we're trying to th our children, then don't sid destroy the infrastructure" the counter protesters say y are fed up with the occupy movement, so they decided to take a stand. as ann notarangelo shows us, they a turning point. ann. . the counter protesters say they are fed up with the occupy movement. they hope it marks a turning point. >> reporter: about a hundred people came out for the stand up for oakland rally. they were out numbered 2-1 by the occupy protests but they say they feel good about when they were able to accomplish during their silent rally. >> i'm hoping people will take the city back. >> reporter: he call themselves the silent majority and after weeks of watching occupy oakland they decided